Sometimes a good afternoon needed to be spent like this. Just laying down on the wooden floor of the back porch, enjoying the afternoon breeze of wind with the soft melody of music playing from her phone’s playlist while waiting for her wife and her daughter to come back home.

Seungwan closed her eyes as she put aside the book she just started to read several days ago. Decided to enjoy the scenery of the blue sky that will start to change its colour into orange in another hour. Watching the green leaves dancing along with the soft blowing wind, moving them in such a graceful waltz that nature made.

She was about to change the music that has been playing on her phone when the familiar sound of someone entering from the main door reached her eardrums gently. Seungwan quickly raised herself up, wanting to greet the two women who just got back from outside.

was about to let her welcome voice and words out when the sour face of Yerim greeted her eyesight. The words that were already on the tip of her tongue got swallowed back as her eyes only watched the grumpy steps of her daughter reach her room. Loud bang of a closed door being the ending act of all the fiasco.

Seungwan blinked, didn’t know what just happened along the way of going back home. Did Yerim get into troubles in her school? Did someone disturb and hurt her in school? All the bad thoughts started to show up inside her mind. Worries decided to consume her fast since she had no idea what was just happening with her.

“I’m home,” greeted her wife as she stepped inside the living room. Seungwan frowned as she noticed the annoyed tone in her voice and also the visible sour expression that her face currently wore.

“Did something happen?” asked Seungwan as she followed Joohyun to the kitchen. The worry inside her mind started to consume her fast, making her can’t hold back the question she was dying to ask to Joohyun the moment they arrived. Ignoring the way how the older between the both of them casted her purse away just like that on top of the kitchen counter.

Joohyun just let out an annoyed huff as she filled the pot with water. “I want to drink tea. You want some too?” asked her as she put the now filled pot on top of the stove, swiftly turning the fire on.

Seungwan nodded. “Sure,” notified her as her eyes still looked on the closed door of their daughter’s bedroom. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

“She got a bad grade on her test,” grumbled Joohyun, preparing three mugs and three tea bags for the both of them while waiting for the water to be boiled.

Her wife hummed as she took a seat on the high chair beside the kitchen counter. Putting the neglected purse neatly at the side of the counter. “What subject?”

“Math.”

“How bad is it?”

“Much more like, if she ever voiced out her dislike in getting the bad grade, I’m sure as hell that she will be neglected with the rest of her friends in class.”

A frown elicited on the soft features of her forehead. “What do you mean?”

“She got a freaking 90 in her test, Seungwan!” exasperated Joohyun frustratingly. “90! I told her it’s still a high grade and it’s not really bad and I’m still proud of her, but guess what she said?”

Seungwan blinked from the blow up that Joohyun just showed to her, feeling a bit taken aback from the expressive showing that she was sure the woman had been holding it all the way from her school to going back home. “What?”

“I got 95 in the last test so this is still a downgrade!” mimicked Joohyun as she copied the way Yerim talks with a little bit of anger inside her tone. “That kid is something else. I don’t understand how her mind works sometimes.”

Her wife tries so hard to hold back her laughter as she sees how annoyed Joohyun is with all the acts that Yerim throws just from a ‘bad grade’. “She is totally your daughter.”

Joohyun let out her scoff. “Yeah, with a smart brain like you.”

“You can’t blame me, sweetheart. You are the one who told me constantly that you love someone with a y brain,” teased Seungwan, enjoying how a soft blush started to bloom on her wife’s cheek.

Dark shade of brown glinted with a warning as Joohyun sent her an annoyed glance, reminding her to not cross the line that shall never be crossed over.

Seungwan just raised her hands up in surrender, even though the soft chuckle that had slipped out from did not prove so. “I’m going to check on her now. Maybe her emotion has died down for a bit.”

Soft sound from the blasting music that is being played inside the room welcomes her as Seungwan reaches the door of Yerim’s bedroom. It was a hard type of music, the type that she always played whenever she got a bad mood from something that happens that day.

She raised her hand before planting her knuckles on the door, knocking it softly. “Yerim? It’s Mama. Can I come in?”

It took her some time until she noticed that the song had been made to stop playing, before the familiar sound of a creaking door being opened followed much after. With the reveal of the sight of sad and annoyed Yerim alongside her bright and cheerful room.

Her daughter didn’t say anything, only opening the door wide. A sign for her that it’s okay to step inside if she wants to, and Seungwan decided to use the chance quickly. She closed the door to give them some privacy for talking things out and taking a seat on her comfortable bed. Yerim lay back down on her bed, still with her sour expression while playing with her phone and didn’t say a word. Seungwan touches her leg softly. “So? Mind to tell me what happened earlier?”

“I know Umma already told you all the details, Mom,” said Yerim in the matter-of-fact tone, still focusing her gaze on her phone screen. “And I know Umma didn’t like how I react about it.”

“No, it’s not about she didn’t like it,” started Seungwan in a soft tone, softly her hair that framed her face beautifully. “She is just proud that you already do your best and you got the best result for it.”

Yerim scoffed from the sentence as she threw her phone on top of her pillow. “Yeah, doing my best, when I’m not even reaching my past grade.”

“Did you get the highest grade in your class?”

“Yeah, but-“

“See? Then you need to be proud of it,” stated Seungwan gently. “You already worked hard. Yes, it’s not reaching your previous grade but, it’s still the best one.”

“Mom, you don’t understand,” exasperated Yerim as she sat herself up on top of the bed. “I got so many things that went wrong in this test, when I thought I already knew the exact answer for it. I’m not good enough.”

“Yes, you are not good enough,” said Seungwan suddenly, making Yerim a little bit taken aback with her blunt words. “You are great. Maybe you are disappointed with yourself right now, but know that you will always be the greatest one in our eyes.”

Yerim just grows silent from it. Still didn’t take the words well with her heart. Still not making peace with herself. Seungwan released a soft sigh as she scanned her reaction. God, her competitive side is really something that Seungwan still can’t handle best. Not like Joohyun knows how to handle it either, even though she is the one who gives their daughter this side of her.

“How about this?” asked Seungwan suddenly as a brilliant idea struck her mind. “Let’s review your test together and see why you did wrong in some questions. Then, you will know the right answer when the same kind of question reappears again in the test.”

Her daughter’s face quickly brightens by the sudden proposal of an idea. “Really, Mom? Will you help? You are not busy?”

“Of course!” nodded Seungwan with a small smile on her face. “We can do it later after the dinner. How’s that sound?”

“That sounds great!” exclaimed Yerim as she threw her arms onto her mother’s body, hugging her tight. “Thank you, Mama!”

“Anytime, Princess,” chuckled Seungwan softly as she gave her daughter a kiss on top of her head. “Now, Umma is currently making some tea. You want to have some?”

Yerim cast down her eyes, contemplating about the invite her mother just offered her, before she shyly nodded. Seungwan hugged her from the side, kissing the side of her head before leaving her bedroom together.

Three mugs filled with hot tea already being served on the dining table. Joohyun already took her seat, wrapping her hands around the mug as her eyes fixated on the sight of her wife and her daughter stepped inside the kitchen. Seungwan planted a soft kiss on top of her head before taking the seat right beside her, while Yerim took the one right in front of her.

The air between the three of them somehow felt a little bit tense. Seungwan taking a sip of her tea awkwardly, didn’t know why the air suddenly shifted into this way. She silently eyed the two women who were also at the dining table with her. Noting how Yerim looked a little bit tenser than usual, while her wife just acted like nothing has happened earlier. Seungwan inwardly sighs from the situation. She can’t do much about it unless the two of them started the conversation that has been bugging them the whole time.

She was about to act as a mediator when suddenly Yerim decided to start the conversation. “Um, Umma?”

“Yes?” hummed Joohyun, fixing her blank gaze towards their daughter who is currently fidgeting on top of her seat, somehow feeling nervous.

Yerim frowned as she bit her bottom lip, contemplating what she was going to say next before letting it all out in the right way. She let out a soft sigh. “I’m sorry for how I act earlier.”

Both of the parents blinked blankly before they looked at each other questioningly. Joohyun made a motion with her eyebrow, questioning the act that their daughter just pulled earlier. Seungwan shrugged easily, nudging her head as the way to tell her to sort it out with Yerim. The older woman let out a sigh as she looked at their daughter who still cast her eyes downwards. “Yerim, I’m not mad with how you act earlier.”

“But you dislike it,” mumbled Yerim softly, still refusing to look at her mom with her eyes.

“Yeah, I dislike it because you are too hard on yourself,” answered Joohyun quick, making it sound a bit like she was snapped at Yerim.

Seungwan nudged her softly with her elbow, warning her to not make Yerim feel more guilt than she already is. Joohyun only threw her a glance and quickly fixed it once again to the young woman in front of her. She let out a defeated sigh, decided to play along with the game that her wife has already set since the beginning.

“Look at me, Yerim.”

It took her a little bit of time for Yerim to raise her head up, looking at Joohyun with wary eyes filled her dark brown eyes.

Joohyun let out a sigh as she grabbed her hand on top of the table. “It’s okay to be disappointed. That means, you know that you are doing wrong about something and you are willing to fix it so you can be better in the future. But, whenever you feel disappointed with yourself, both of us will be the one who always be proud of you. No matter what happens, we will always be here. And that is what I will always do as your parent.”

“We,” corrected Seungwan. “That’s what we will always do as your parents.”

The soft eyes of their daughter suddenly become glassy as she quickly blinks the tears away. Her lips cracked into a small smile filled with gratitude. “Thank you, Umma. And you too, Mom.”

“Anytime, Princess,” chuckled Seungwan softly.

Joohyun tightens the hold on Yerim’s hand before letting it go. “Always remember that, darling. We love you.”

Yerim raised her glass of warm tea, trying to cover her whimpers using the ceramic mug. Looking lovingly at the two women in front of her. Feeling grateful to have parents like them. Parents who will support her and be at her side no matter what happens.